The Baubles of Office

TV3 has a story that Foreign Minister and NZ First Leader Winston Peters is going to appoint as our next High Commissioner to the Cook Islands, a NZ First MP – Brian Donnelly.

Now that’s a mighty big bauble of office.

Brian is a hell of a decent guy, is actually of Cooks descent and will I am sure be a most conscientious High Commissioner.  But that isn’t the point.  The point is that he would not be appointed unless Winston was Foreign Minister.

And the point is that Winston before the last election made an explicit commitment that he was shunning the baubles of office.  And not only if he not shunning them for himself, he is now handing them out to his mates.